I tried to search on this topic in this forum, but unfortunately could not find a proper answer to my problem.I realize it might be a FS limitation, but I do not seem to be able to create a 'proper' overcast cloud deck.By the 'proper' I mean that while on top of it you cannot see the ground (see the pictures) then descending you fly into it and it gradually becomes darker and darker since the sunlight does not penetrate the lower parts of the cloud deck. Finally you break through the bottom of the deck gradually again, seeing the fluffy parts of the cloud bottom, not the pancake flat cloud bottom.I would like to see this kind of realistic weather condition in the FS, both in the real weather scenario, as well as flying online.Any help would be appreciated.BestDom

Hi,Sorry to say that you have found one of the "improvements" in FS9 over FS8. We now have transparent overcast. There are replacement cirrus cloud textures available that give opaque overcast (sorry, can't remember the name...do a search) but of course the weather must have cirrus clouds as the lowest cloud layer for the effect to work.Mike

It's a pity. Thanks for clarification.Best regardsDom

Active Sky 2004 has an option to "double up" on overcast layers to produce a much more convincing effect...FYI.Best,sg

you should also check into the free Blusphere files (available in Avsim lib) that make overcast more 'gloomy'. This is a great, very refined add-on known also for its other features.Michael J.http://www.reality-xp.com/community/nr/rsc/rxp-higher.jpg

Not to mention the fact that you have to have your clouds at maximum coverage and 100% volume to give it complete overcast. This will kill frame rates. A little trick is to turn the visibility down and this way it appears more like overcast.I usually set the visibility low at the altitude the clouds end. Lets say I had an overcast layer at 6000'. I would then set the visibility to low below 6000'. This works out pretty well and keeps a bit of the reality going.... :)

If you search use "bluesphere" instead of "blusphere," Dom.Better yet... http://library.avsim.net/search.php?Search...here&CatID=Root

Indeed, but this way you get the effect of not seeing too much ahead of you on top of the overcast, yet seeing glimpses of ground underneath.Well, I guess we need to wait and see what FS6(or whatever the number) will bring us.By the way, I have bluesphere textures installed and I cannot imagine flying without them really. It adds to the overall feeling of being there a lot.Thanks lads, your informative opinion is much appreciated,Dom

Dom,Are you running DETAILED MS clouds at maximum cloudcoverage DENSITY in settings?In MS downloaded weather with these settings I getgreat overcast.Peter Sydney Australia

Yes, the slider is set to maximum.I rarely use the FS online weather - I tend to fly a lot online on Vatsim with its own weather engine and for offline flight change to AS2004.ThanksDom

What is strange is when I use the real weather in FS, I get real overcasts, but if I try to set manual weather and chose overcast, it's not overcast.

This might seem stupid, but since I am having the same problem even with ASky 2004 and it's overcast enhancement, could someone who gets a true overcast layer post a screenshot of it. Would be greatly appreciated.Cheers,Viljami

Yeah, but if we did that, people would says"That's not true overcast"!!! Wink!Peter Sydney Australia

I would basically agree with one of the posters that the perfect overcast simulation with all the real-world aspects of it would cause a tremendous frame rate hit to our systems. Might be the way MS decided to compromise this issue.Well, I guess we will need to live with it for now.Dom

What is really annoying is that the overcast worked fine in FS2002. As you alluded to, perhaps they will "re-improve" it in FS10.Mike